Instructions for using passive voice and practice exercises for IELTS Writing Task 2

Introduction to passive voice (Passive Voice)

Passive Voice is a common grammatical structure in English, often used to emphasize an action or state rather than the person performing the action. In passive sentences, the subject of the action becomes the subject of the sentence, while the subject performing the action may be omitted or mentioned after the word “by”. For example, the active sentence "The chef cooks the meal" will become the passive sentence "The meal is cooked by the chef".

Passive sentences are formed by using the verb "to be" in accordance with the tense of the sentence, combined with the past participle of the main verb. For example, in the simple present tense, a passive sentence would be created by using “is” or “are” plus the past participle of the main verb (“is cooked” or “are cooked”).

The use of the passive voice often appears when the writer wants to emphasize the action or the result of the action rather than who performed the action. This is especially useful in academic or formal writing, such as in IELTS Writing Task 2, where maintaining a formal and objective tone is important.

The main difference between active and passive sentences lies in emphasis. In an active sentence, the subject is the person doing the action, for example “The student wrote the essay”. Meanwhile, passive sentences focus on the subject affected by the action, for example “The essay was written by the student”. This transition not only helps clarify who or what is affected, but also increases the formality and objectivity of the writing, which is very beneficial in IELTS Writing Task 2.

Structure of passive sentences

The passive voice is an important grammatical structure in English, often used to emphasize the subject of an action instead of the person performing the action. To form a passive sentence, we need to use the verb “to be” combined with the past participle of the main verb.

The basic structure of the passive voice is: S + to be + past participle (+ by O). In which, “S” is the new subject (the affected object), “to be” is the verb “to be” in the corresponding tense, “past participle” is the past participle of the main verb and “by O” indicates the person performing the action (can be omitted if not important).

To understand better, let's look at how the passive voice is used in different tenses:

Simple tense

Structure: S + am/is/are + past participle

For example: “The book is read by the student”.

Simple past

Structure: S + was/were + past participle

For example: “The letter was written by her”.

Present perfect

Structure: S + have/has been + past participle

For example: “The house has been cleaned by them”.

Future simple

Structure: S + will be + past participle

For example: “The project will be completed by the team”.

The conversion from active sentence to passive sentence requires changing the position of the subject and object, at the same time adjusting the verb "to be" to the corresponding tense and adding the past participle of the main verb. Understanding the structure and usage of passive sentences is an essential skill to improve writing ability in IELTS Writing Task 2.

When should you use passive voice in IELTS Writing Task 2

In IELTS Writing Task 2, using passive voice can be beneficial, especially when you want to emphasize the action rather than the person performing the action. The passive voice helps highlight the results of the action, which is often more important in analytical or discussion essays, where emphasizing the action and its impact can result in higher scores. .

Additionally, the passive voice is useful when the subject of the action is unimportant or unknown. For example, in articles about social issues such as the environment, crime, or education, the writer often does not need to specify who performs the action. Instead, emphasizing the action and its results brings objectivity and formality to the writing.

Common topics in IELTS Writing Task 2 where passive sentences can be useful include:

Environment: Actions such as “forests are destroyed” or “plastic waste is being recycled” are often used to emphasize the importance of environmental issues without having to specify who performs the action.
Education: Statements like “students should be encouraged” or “new teaching methods have been introduced” help focus on the action and results, rather than the doer.
Society: Social issues such as “crime is being controlled” or “security measures have been taken” also often use passive sentences to create objectivity and formality.

Knowing when to use the passive voice and applying it appropriately will help your writing become clearer, more logical and professional, thereby improving your score in the IELTS Writing Task 2 exam.

Common mistakes when using passive sentences

When using passive sentences, English learners often encounter some common mistakes. Identifying and correcting these errors will help you improve your writing ability and score higher in the IELTS Writing Task 2 test.

One of the most common mistakes is using the wrong tense. For example, when wanting to change an active sentence in the present simple tense into a passive sentence, many learners often forget to change the verb "to be" or use its wrong form. For example, “The teacher explains the lesson” can be incorrectly converted to “The lesson is explained by the teacher” instead of “The lesson is explained by the teacher”. To avoid this error, always check and make sure that the verb “to be” is conjugated in the correct tense.

In addition, learners often forget to change the verb "to be" when switching from active sentences to passive sentences. For example, in the sentence “They have built a new bridge,” when converted to passive voice, the correct sentence is “A new bridge has been built by them,” not “A new bridge is built by them.” To avoid this error, always remember that in passive sentences, the main verb needs to be replaced by the past participle.

Another mistake is confusing active and passive sentences. Many learners do not realize that passive sentences often require an agent to cause or specify the action. For example, the sentence “The book was read” may leave the reader wondering who the reader is. To solve this problem, add an action trigger if necessary: “The book was read by the student.”

To avoid these mistakes, regularly practice and check your writing. Using learning resources and practice exercises will help you master and use passive sentences more accurately and confidently. Always remember that improving your writing skills not only helps you score high in the IELTS exam but also helps you communicate in English more effectively.

Exercises to convert active sentences into passive sentences

In this part, we will practice converting sentences from active to passive. These exercises are designed with many different tenses and increasing levels of difficulty, to help you master how to use passive sentences in English, especially in the IELTS Writing Task 2 test.

Exercise 1: Change the following sentences from active to passive.

1. The chef prepares the meal.

2. The committee will review the proposal.

3. They have completed the project.

4. The teacher is explaining the lesson.

5. The government has implemented new policies.

Instructions: To change an active sentence to a passive sentence, follow these steps:

1. Identify the object in the active sentence.

2. Put the object at the beginning of the sentence and change it to the subject of the passive sentence.

3. Change main verb to passive form (be + past participle).

4. Add the verb “to be” that matches the tense of the active sentence.

5. Bring the subject of the active sentence to the end of the sentence, adding "by" if necessary.

For example:

Active: The chef prepares the meal.

Passive: The meal is prepared by the chef.

Exercise 2: Change the following sentences from active to passive.

1. The manager signs the contract.

2. The scientists are conducting experiments.

3. The company will launch a new product.

4. The students have submitted their assignments.

5. The artist painted the mural.

To check the results, make sure that:

1. The new subject (old object) comes at the beginning of the sentence.

2. The main verb has been converted into the correct passive form.

3. The tense of the verb “to be” matches the tense of the active sentence.

4. The old subject (if necessary) comes at the end of the sentence, add "by" if there is one.

Regular practice and thorough testing will help you clearly understand and fluently use the passive sentence structure in English. This is not only useful for the IELTS Writing Task 2 test but also improves your overall English writing skills.

Practice writing passive sentences for IELTS Writing Task 2 topics

In this section, we will discuss the use of passive sentences in common topics of IELTS Writing Task 2. Mastering how to convert active sentences into passive sentences not only helps diversify sentence structure but also creates richer and more attractive articles. Common topics include education, environment, technology and economics. Let's look at some examples and exercises for practice.

Educational topics:

For example: “Many schools have implemented online learning platforms.” (Many schools have deployed online learning platforms.)

Passive sentence: “Online learning platforms have been implemented by many schools.” (Online learning platforms have been deployed by many schools.)

Environmental topic:

For example: “Governments are introducing new regulations to reduce pollution.” (The government is introducing new regulations to reduce pollution.)

Passive sentence: “New regulations to reduce pollution are being introduced by governments.” (New regulations to reduce pollution are being introduced by the government.)

Technology topics:

For example: “Tech companies have developed innovative solutions to improve productivity.” (Technology companies have developed innovative solutions to improve productivity.)

Passive sentence: “Innovative solutions to improve productivity have been developed by tech companies.” (Innovative solutions to improve productivity have been developed by technology companies.)

Economic topic:

For example: “The government has introduced tax incentives to stimulate economic growth.” (The government has introduced tax incentives to stimulate economic growth.)

Passive sentence: “Tax incentives to stimulate economic growth have been introduced by the government.” (Tax incentives to stimulate economic growth have been introduced by the government.)

Students can practice by rewriting active sentences into passive sentences with different topics. This not only helps you get used to the passive structure but also helps improve your writing skills, thereby achieving higher results in the IELTS Writing Task 2 exam.

Analyze sample articles using passive sentences

In the sample essay for IELTS Writing Task 2, the author cleverly uses passive sentences to create objectivity and emphasize the action rather than the subject. A typical example is the sentence: “It is believed that improved education systems can lead to a more informed society.” Here, using the passive sentence "It is believed" helps the article become more formal and academic. Instead of saying “People believe,” the passive voice helps focus on the general opinion, without specifying the subject. This is very important in IELTS writing, where objectivity is always emphasized.

Another strength of using the passive voice is its ability to highlight the result or consequence of an action, rather than who performed the action. For example, in the sentence: “The environment has been significantly affected by industrial activities,” the author wants to emphasize the influence of industrial activities on the environment, not who performed these activities. This makes the article stronger and easier to understand for the reader.

However, overusing the passive voice can also reduce the clarity and coherence of your writing. Some sentences in the sample essay can become complicated and difficult to understand if the passive voice is not used carefully. For example, the sentence: “The decision was made by the committee to implement new policies,” could be rewritten more clearly and concisely using the active structure: “The committee decided to implement new policies .” This shows that the use of passive voice needs to be carefully considered so as not to reduce the quality of the writing.

In summary, using passive voice in IELTS Writing Task 2 can bring many benefits, from increasing objectivity to highlighting the results of an action. However, it must be used appropriately to ensure that the article remains clear and coherent.

Conclusion and references

In this article, we have explored how to use passive voice in IELTS Writing Task 2 and its importance. Passive sentences help highlight the affected object, instead of the person performing the action, thereby creating richness and diversity in expression. This is especially useful in academic writing and IELTS essays, where clarity and precision are highly valued.

To use passive sentences effectively, learners need to pay attention to the context and purpose of the sentence. Overusing the passive voice can lose the intuitiveness and coherence of the article. Therefore, careful consideration must be given when choosing to use this structure. In addition, mastering grammar rules and practicing regularly will help learners become more proficient in writing passive sentences.

Below are some references and additional learning resources that you can use to continue your research and practice:

Finally, the most important advice is to always practice and evaluate your writing. Regularly rereading and editing will help you recognize and correct common errors, thereby improving your writing skills. Wishing you success in your learning journey and conquering the IELTS exam!